The author provides a first hand account on the civil war that ravaged Lebanon for more than 15 years. Having been a journalist for the British Times and now the Independent in London, he lived and reported from the part of the country that suffered most, West Beirut. Robert Fisk provides detailed analysis of the war, the politics, and describes the gruesome attacks and massacres on civilians by the Israelis and their allies. He witnesses the kidnapping of his fellow journalists and narrowly escapes it himself. He discusses both the Syrian and Israeli invasions of Lebanon. The author maintains, as humanly possible, objectivism as he reports on this war with no winners. Excellent reading. Cynical writing. Good history book for non-lebanese and for those with little knowledge on the war.

As he does so regularly for the English newspaper "The Independent", Fisk provides a brilliant account and analysis of Lebanon. He is particularly good on the misreportage of events by the Western media, and on the Israeli propaganda machine, and his account of the kidnapping of his friend Terry Anderson is superb. Reading this book leaves you both sad and angry. Good accompanying reading is William Dalrymple's "From The Holy Mountain," in which he interviews Fisk.

Robert Fisk has produced the most accurate book that describes Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. This is the most factual book that you will ever read about Lebanon.

In a world where good role models are few and far between, Robin Higgins sets an extraordinary example. Because of her dual roles as wife and fellow Marine, Robin Higgins' story provides a unique insight into the psyche of both a desperate hostage family and a soldier trained to save one of her own. I was constantly amazed at the delicate mental and emotional balancing act she successfully kept up for the entire time her husband was held captive.

Robin's powerful and insightful recounting of her husband's story is extremely timely, as Col. Rich Higgins' fate in Lebanon holds lessons for the peacekeepers now in Iraq. Like the U.N. weapons inspection team in Iraq today, Rich's team sought to enforce peace in a land where war is a way of life. And like lead inspector and fellow Marine, Scott Ritter, who was recently accused by Iraq of spying, Rich was distrusted because he was an effective leader.

It was an honor and a pleasure to serve as editor of this book.

This is a story about a courageous woman torn mercilessly between her love for her hostage husband and her love and duty to her country. Above all, this is a love story and tragedy of epic proportions...involving not one American hero, but two. In her unrelenting efforts to free her husband from the bonds of terrorists, Robin Higgins went through the Halls of Power, confronting presidents and kings, winding through mazes of red tape, promises, and stone walls. At the same time, as a Marine Corps officer, loyal to her leaders and her country, she had to conduct herself with dignity and grace. Never once did she waver--even in the maddening days following the brutal murder of Colonel "Rich" Higgins. This book is her story...and his...and in gripping detail, Robin recounts this Patriot story. The reader will find it quite difficult to finish this book without anger at the feeble efforts to free the colonel, and without being in awe of the courage of Robin Higgins--a true patriot and heroine.

"Patriot Dreams" is the most gripping true story I have ever read, and I am a voracious reader. From the opening page, you will vicariously enter the inner world of Robin Higgins, and experience the tragic death of a true American hero.

Rich Higgins was a Marine lieutenant-colonel who saw himself as a peacekeeper and a protector of the nation he loved. His duties in Lebanon required him to be unarmed, and he accepted those conditions as part of the job.

Unfortunately, the Hezbollah did not respect his show of good faith. What happened to Rich and his ever-faithful wife, Robin, will give you the deepest understanding of the contemporary Middle East and the ineffectiveness of our government in protecting its citizens in that area.

"Patriot Dreams" is written with an understated passion that sweeps the reader along; I was unable to put the book down until I finished the last word.

Robin Higgins is an extraordinarly powerful writer. Her work combines the best features of a novel with a strong dose of reality therapy. You will be both wiser and better informed as a result of this read.

The author was a student at North Shore High School when I taught there, and I can, without qualification, vouch for her good character and loyalty. When she introduced me to her husband, Rich Higgins in 1982, he was a major, and she was a captain. You would, as I did, recognize that he was a product of the best of our culture--strong but humane, highly intelligent without conceit, loyal without fanaticism.

Rich Higgins will be mourned, but he must never be forgotten.

Ally to Adversary is a unique opportunity to be in on the planning and conduct of a military conflict that most of us only see "highlights" of on television. Rick Francona allows us to be the "fly on the wall" in high-level intelligence briefings, the multi-service coordination chain, and grass-roots level contact with real people. Francona's story-telling style takes the reader into an exotic world of danger and intrigue as smoothly as any best-selling fiction author. Occasionally, I found myself thinking, "Things like this only happen in the movies!" But this is his true story. His "characters" are real and sympathetic. The situations into which he takes us along are delicate and, at times, hair-raising.

As I read his book, I was enlightened about things I saw watching the war and its prelude from afar, as did so many other people. Francona lends understanding to that which is often misunderstood, such as the hows and whys of war. He doesn't whitewash the Gulf War; he gives it human faces and personal conflict.

Ally to Adversary is a candidate for everyone's "must-read" list, whether you are a veteran of the military, a military historian, or a civilian looking for a fascinating read.

Rick Francona, a retired USAF LtCol., has written an account of the Gulf War as no one else can. He is probably unique in that he served in Baghdad during the Iran/Iraq war (to include excursions into Iraqi frontline trenches during the fighting) and then on Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf's staff as an interpreter and intelligence officer. Francona's experiences and perspective make for an interesting memoir of the war. He was there for most of the key decisions and events of the war, and he is very frank in his description of working with the Coalition partners, particularly the Saudis. Likewise, he provides an honest account of the efficacy of the air war, summed up in the placard over the desk of one of the airpower planners in Riyadh: "We are not preparing the battlefield, we are destroying it."

Also, readers will learn how the politics of realism comes into play in the Middle East -- from US involvement in the Iran/Iraq war to the decision to end the Gulf War without moving into Baghdad.
Francona has written an extremely readable history. This book belongs on the shelves of historians, collectors, and military history buffs.

For those of us who have spent many years in the Middle East, or Southwest Asia in military geographic terms, it is quickly apparent that LtCol Francona has an insight into the Arab military mind which can only come from mastering the Arabic language, and living among the people. He worked with the Iraqi officer corps for years and developed relationships, moreover friendships, which last to this day. To be selected and assigned as the personal translator for the CinC, General Norman Schwartzkopf says it all. The General was well acquainted with the mindset and customs of the region, having lived in Iran as a youngster, and would demand only the best. Then a Major, Rick Francona served him well and came to know the General in ways different from his subordinate staff. No other book on the Gulf War will reveal the inner workings of the US and Coalition commanders as will 'Ally to Adversary'.

Sonia Uvezian has written yet another landmark cookbook, her best yet. I am familiar with many books on eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cooking, but none compare to this revelatory and loving volume in which the author brings to life a cuisine and a culture in the way only one who was born and reared in the region could. Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen recreates a time and place inaccessible not only to most Americans, but even to most eastern Mediterraneans. It evokes the world of Uvezian's Lebanese childhood and is a rich portrayal of how people lived once upon a time, a happy time, not too long ago. A masterpiece of culinary instruction as valuable for its authentic and inspired recipes as for its exceptionally informative text, this extraordinary work is an essential guide for anyone who enjoys cooking and reading about eastern Mediterranean ingredients, markets, traditional utensils, scenes of daily life, views of mountain villages and the sea, ancient temples, mosques, and monasteries. I found the content of these illustrations at least as impressive as their inherent beauty. Anyone can make the dishes described by following the author's clearly written recipes, which are almost always based on readily available ingredients. Some of the best cooking I have done-ever-resulted from this wonderful book.

I am so impressed with Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen that I have ordered several copies as gifts for friends and relatives on my Christmas list. I strongly recommend that you buy two copies for yourself, one for your kitchen and the other for your night table. My thanks to Sonia Uvezian for a truly remarkable cookbook.

I love eastern Mediterranean food, especially Lebanese, but had always been better at eating it than cooking it. This book has changed that. Not only do the recipes produce fantastic results, they are not at all difficult to make and require no special expertise, equipment, or hard-to-find ingredients.

I really enjoyed reading about how the cuisine has evolved over so many centuries and found the author's personal insights and memories as well as the fascinating stories, quotations, and proverbs very helpful in placing the recipes in a cultural context. The information on ingredients is a revelation and far better than anything I have seen elsewhere, and the menu suggestions are super! Also, the many evocative period illustrations relate beautifully to the enlightening text.

"Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen" is a truly unique and exceptional cookbook that is amazing in its scope. It is a must for every family of Lebanese or Syrian descent and indispensable for any lover of good food. Whether you actually cook from the book or simply read it (I strongly recommend you do both!), an inexhaustible fund of knowledge and pleasure awaits you.

Uvezian's timeless classics, The Cuisine of Armenia, Cooking from the Caucasus, and The Book of Yogurt, turned me into a passionate cook. But as wonderful as those three volumes are, this one is even better. In fact, Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen is surely one of the finest cookbooks ever written. I could go on singing its praises, but to appreciate what a great book it really is, you must read its illuminating text, see its fascinating period illustrations, and try its magnificent recipes, which, in addition to those from Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, include some superb Armenian ones not found in the author's previous works. I can't recommend this masterful volume highly enough!

A perfect pairing of voice and narrative is found in this dramatic recounting of the 1948 battle between the Arabs and the Jews for possession of the city of Jerusalem. It is the story of the birth of Israel as meticulously researched by the authors.

History comes to vivid life as we hear of the years between World War II and the creation of an independent state - Israel. We are reminded that this area was sacred to both sides, and we hear Ben Gurion and Golda Meir as well as Arab chiefs and soldiers who felt just as passionately that their cause was just.

Theodore Bikel, probably best remembered for his long running role as Tevya in "Fiddler On The Roof" offers an incomparable reading. Vienna born Bikel was 13-years-old when his family moved to Palestine. An inquisitive and intelligent young man he was to master Hebrew, Yiddish, German, and English.

Early on he joined the Habimah Theatre, and later was a co-founder of the Israeli Chamber Theatre. He became interested in folk music and the guitar at approximately the same time that he studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

All of this study and work was prelude to a multi faceted career - as musician, actor, and author. His awards are many, including an Emmy.

Bikel's reading of "O Jerusalem!" merits another statue on his mantel.

- Gail Cooke

I tend towards books in the historical novel genre, and count among my favorite authors Herman Wouk and Leon Uris. "O Jerusalem!" was recommended to me by someone familiar with my interest in the history of Israel, and I was hesitant to read it at first, thinking that I didn't want to slog through some dry account of such a worthwhile topic.

Well, "dry" cannot be applied to any aspect of this book. Considering all of the college history books I've read, I think I can truly say that this is the best "true" historical telling of a topic that I've read...yet. The authors, in true journalistic form, did their research, and brought in those "human interest" aspects I so love in the historical novels. Their treatment of both the Arabs and the Jews is about as unbiased as one can be--I didn't see any blatant pandering to either side-- and felt that any (potentially) incindiary remarks were based wholly on historical track record (e.g., Arabs don't have a history--in Palestine--of cultivating the land, and this neglect is mentioned a few times). I recommend this book to anyone wishing for an in-depth (but not too technically deep!) look into the partition vote, the siege of Jerusalem, and the establishment of the State of Israel. ( As an aside: I'm not too interested in politics, but the political wrangling inherent in the entire partition process is quite fascinating. It goes to show that 'goodwill gestures' have about a million moving parts--not necessarily made out of love!).

Collins and Lapierre focus their book, O Jerusalem on one city in the years between World War II and the creation of the independent state of Israel, but, the story itself spans centuries and continents. This is a book about courage, terrorism, heroism, deprivation, politics, and, ultimately, war.

Concentrating their narrative on material gleaned from thousands of interviews, the authors intersperse personal histories-heroic, tragic, and sometimes even humorous-with public history to create an illuminating epic, part folk, part academic. Their emphasis on ordinary people reacting in ordinary ways to extraordinary events encourages the reader to empathize with characters on both sides of what was, and continues to be, a complex stuggle.

Collins and Lapierre allow the story to expand as they trace the roots of the conflict back into Biblical history and as the participants travel the post-WWII world, seeking weapons, political support and military solutions. However, no matter how far afield the story wanders, the authors always bring it back to its center, Jerusalem.

More than fifty years after the central events of this story, it is interesting and instructive for historians, amateur and professional, to review who was allied with whom in the Middle East of the 1940's and who provided the training, weapons, and support to which of the participants in the struggle. This is essential reading for anyone trying to understand what happened in the US on September 11, 2001. Although it does not provide the complete answer, it is an excellent place to begin the search.

Western Europe in the middle ages is often depicted as a static and insular social system--and, to be sure, certain aspects of medieval history support that impression. But the events described in this fine book challenge such portrayals, showing a Western Europe in the eleventh century that was intimately involved in the eastern Mediterranean. Runciman traces this interaction back to the Roman Empire, beginning his book with a charmingly concise yet informative history of Christian society in the East. We see how alert the West was to events in Asia Minor and the Levant: I was struck by how, a thousand years ago, tourism was such an important industry. Constantinople functioned almost as a modern-day theme park--with relics, art and architecture being the big-budget attractions--and as a crucial transportation hub along the pilgrimage route. The breakdown of this tourist industry due to local political instability--and its importance to the West--is what proximally prompted the Crusades. And in the Crusades themselves is reflected the dynamic nature of medieval political history; in particular we see the restless aspirations of the powerful Norman warlords (especially their somewhat disenfranchised younger sons) played out as a key military motor of the Crusades. Reading the background Runciman gives to the Normans (Christianized descendants of the Vikings), and the Seldjuks (Islamized descendants of Turkish nomads), I could not help but notice a certain loose symmetry to their stories, and it didn't seem so odd that they would meet at the interface of the two great Mediterranean faiths. There is much that I found eye-opening in the narrative: from the murderous anti-Jewish pogroms in Western Europe that the Crusaders used as warm-up exercises, to the pathetic lawlessness of their course through Hungary and Byzantium, to the Monty-Pythonesque absurdities of the "medieval mind" (e.g., the throng of German peasants led to the Crusades by "a goose that had been inspired by God"). As an aside, while this may seem to be a very male-oriented subject, in fact a female is probably the most important personality in Runciman's work: it relies most heavily on the account of Anna Comnena, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius. Runciman repeatedly makes a passionate case for accepting her chronicle as the most trustworthy of the contemporary accounts, and uses it extensively in his reconstruction.

Runciman gives a comprehensive, panoramic account of the Crusades, from the unlikely success of the First Crusade to the final, inevitable defeat of the Crusading movement. He analyzes the reasons for the success and the causes of the ultimate failure of the Crusades, and therein lies a lesson for modern times.

Runciman speaks of the many causes of initial victory and ultimate defeat, and catalogs the grievous injuries to all concerned resulting from the Crusades. His analysis is sobering, and some of it is not inapplicable to the current state of affairs in the Middle East. The Crusader States were looked on by the native Moslems as interlopers to be driven into the sea. That final victory was achieved, but at what cost? Given the fiat accompli of the First Crusade, and the centuries of existence of the Crusader States, couldn't they have achieved a modus vivendi which, if not completely satisfactory to either side, at least allowed the parties to live in harmony without doing further mischief to each other. If all sides of the current conflict in the Middle East would read this book, it might expedite the peace process.

This book, often published as three volumes is the definitive history of the crusades. It is at once a tremendously entertaining and gripping story, and an academically accurate account that stimulates one to further enquiry. His account is so alive it is as if one was reading events unfolding in a newspaper day by day and the destruction of Constantinople was only yesterday.

Runciman tells the story of the West's response to the fall of Jerusalem to the Arabs, and their unexpected success in reconquering it. Throughout the story the Christian west, the Byzantine Empire, and the Arab world are painted with all their good and bad points.

No one comes out of this story without fault, but Runciman points out that there was a tremendous invigoration of western civilization through its contact with the Byzantine and Arab world. The short lived Kingdom of Jerusalem became in a way an experiment in East-West civilization that ultimately was destroyed by the arrival of later crusaders whose enthusiasm for attacking the Arabs (with whom the earlier crusaders had learned to live in relative peace) was not matched by their numbers or competence. Runciman notes that Arab distrust of the West had its roots in this time.

A great introduction to Byzantine, Arabic, or Latin history. See also the work of JJ Norwich on Byzantium and the Normans in Sicily

Reporters have been known, now and then, to play fast and loose with the facts to entertain their readers or elevate themselves. This phenomenon is not limited to our own age. For proof, look no further than Lowell Thomas' fanciful volume, With Lawrence in Arabia. In 1917, Thomas was a 25-year-old part-time instructor at Princeton, a "fledgling showman from Ohio who had knocked about North America in search of fame, fortune and adventure," according to historian David Fromkin (A Peace to End All Peace). Thomas then raised enough money to travel to Britain and the Middle East front as a World War I cameraman. With his coverage began the Lawrence of Arabia myth.

Eight copies of Seven Pillars of Wisdom were published by Oxford in 1922 (six still exist). The first limited edition was followed in 1926 with the private publication of 211 copies of the book. In 1935 another limited run was published. But the same year, Seven Pillars was reprinted at least four more times. Now, there have probably been dozens, if not hundreds of printings.

This work assured T. E. Lawrence a place in history as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. It is a military history, colorful epic and lyrical exploration of Lawrence's mind.

Nevertheless, it is largely fiction. Fromkin writes that when poet and scholar Robert Graves proposed to describe the liberation of Damascus in a biography of Lawrence, the subject himself warned Graves, "I was on thin ice when I wrote the Damascus chapter...."

A onetime junior officer in the Cairo Arab Bureau, Lawrence admitted that Seven Pillars of Wisdom included a false tale of Arab bravery to aggrandize the followers of Sharif Hussein of Mecca and his son Feisal. Indeed, as early as 1818, reputable newsmen reported that the Australian Light Horse division liberated Damascus from Ottoman control, not Feisal's Arab troops, who marched in afterwards, for show.

By 1921, Fromkin writes, Winston Churchill was in charge of Britain's Arab policy in Mesopotamia and tapped John Evelyn Shuckburgh to head a new Middle East department and Foreign Office man Hubert Winthrop Young to assist him. They arranged transport and supplies for Feisal's Arab army, earning hearty endorsement from Churchill's Masterson Smith committee, which simultaneously took grave exception to T.E. Lawrence as a proposed Arab affairs adviser. The committee considered Lawrence "not the kind of man fit to easily fit into any official machine."

Fromkin reports that Lawrence was frequently insubordinate, went over his superiors and in 1920 publicly disparaged Britain's Arab policy in the London Sunday Times as being "worse than the Turkish system." He also accused Britain of killing "a yearly average of 100 Arabs to maintain peace." This was of course untrue.

Efraim and Inari Karsh write, in Empires of the Sand, that Lawrence's Damascus victory was "less heroic" than he pretended. Feisal was "engaged in an unabashed exercise in duplicity and none knew this better than Lawrence, who whole heartedly endorsed this illicit adventure and kept most of its contours hidden from his own superiors." Yet Lawrence basked in the limelight Thomas created in London, attending at least five of the showman journalist's lectures.

As an unfortunate result of Lawrence's subterfuge, he had a large hand in shaping the modern Middle East.

Bad enough, we suffer to this day the consequences of Lawrence's fabrications.

Worse, a new generation of readers seems to accept as gospel the Lawrence of Arabia myth that stemmed from Lowell Thomas' hype and Lawrence's own Seven Pillars of Wisdom. While few seem to know it, this was long ago debunked. Those who want to know what really happened should at minimum also consult Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace and the Karsh's Empires of the Sand. Alyssa A. Lappen

Those who enjoyed David Lean's magnificent "Lawrence of Arabia" and picked this book up wanting to gain a deeper insight into T E Lawrence will be sorely disappointed if they expected to see the film reflected clearly in the book. True, the main incidents in the film are there in the book, albeit in a totally different context: you begin to realise how freely Robert Bolt (and presumably Lean himself) adapted Lawrence's account to make the film hang together more dramatically.

Many of the previous reviewers have commented that the book is a rewarding if demanding read, that it doesn't really "get going" until about 100 pages in, and that the constant shifts of scene and entrances and exits of characters are sometimes difficult to follow. All that is true - a friend of mine advised that Lawrence is easier to read about than to read. But I felt that choppy nature of the narrative was inevitable when one considers the type of warfare Lawrence describes: hit-and-run guerilla action undertaken by (often mutually antagonistic) Bedouin tribes. Just as Lawrence's raiding parties would emerge at unexpected places out of the desert, so the reader must be prepared for the text to jump from location to location, event to event, and must I suppose be prepared for much of the text (particularly the first 100 pages) to be devoted to how Lawrence managed to muster support both from the Arabs and from the British.

Parts of the book will remain with me for a long time - for example - Lawrence's descriptions of how he dug his camel out of the snow, the descriptions of the Bedouins' eating habits, the non-romantic description of life in the desert (defecating camels, infestations of lice and so on). However, what does come over is Lawrence as a tortured soul: he both loves and despises the Bedouin; professes that he knew from the start that the British (and therefore he himself) were merely using the Arabs against the Turks and would not honour their promises at the end of the War; is both proud (particularly of Allenby) and ashamed of the British; and is both spiritually and physically attracted to the Bedouin men, yet embarrassed by this.

It helps to have even a superficial knowledge of the Middle East campaigns in World War One: I felt that the danger of not having that overview is that one would tend to think that Lawrence's campaign was the pivotal factor in those campaigns rather than a contributory one (Allenby's campaigns are referred to only obliquely by Lawrence, even though in the later stages of the book he does emphasise the supportive role he was playing). Fair enough, as Lawrence was not writing a general history of the campaigns, but I feel (as my friend advised) that reading about Lawrence now that I have read him would be interesting.

It's difficult to describe the experience of reading The Seven Pillars. It is by turns beautiful and ugly. It is military history. It is a subjective view provided by a man very much of his time. It is an apology and an excuse for the necessities of war. It is a portrait of a tribe that Lawrence came to respect and even love. It is a travel book about life in the desert at the time of writing. It is inevitably a mix of fact and history and fiction and probably at least a little bit of wishful thinking.

It's a pretty amazing book to read.

A few notes:

Before you read the book, do some quick background reading on the history that's involved. This will help avoid confustion.

Be prepared for a long read! It's not only a long book, it's an extremely dense book. The choppiness and frequent changes in tone make it hard to put on the reading cruise control.

Read it as a product of its time. Lawrence was a fascinating man, but not without his prejudices or faults.

Trial of the Century

Before there was the O.J. Simpson double homicide trial there was the Eichmann trial. Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil provides insight into one of the most publicized "show trials" ever. After the Nuremberg trial hundreds of Nazis were still in hiding or had taken assumed identities outside of Europe. Adolph Eichmann was one of these individuals. The Israeli Mossad kidnapped him and brought him back to Israel to stand trial for "crimes against humanity" for his role in the Holocaust. Eichmann was abducted in Argentina where he was struggling with his anonymity. Eichmann hated losing his identity as a powerful Nazi. After being kidnapped, but before being flown to Israel Eichmann was asked to consent to being brought up on charges against humanity, which he did. Eichmann may have had a difficult time living without his former social standing and identity.

Arendt's book is a landmark in the workings of the Nazi machine that tortured, raped, and killed over 11 million Europeans for their religion, sexual orientation, political ideas, and nationality. However, the Eichmann trial centers more on the role Eichmann had in the "Final Solution" to the Jewish Question. Eichmann was charged with being a key player in the destruction and eradication of European Jewry.

The book and Arendt's theory regarding "the banality of evil" has created controversy since its inception in 1963. In 1963 Arendt was sent to Jerusalem to follow the Eichmann trial for The New Yorker. She published a series of articles over the course of the trial. It is often remarked by critics of the book that Arendt was not present for even half of the trial, yet the book is considered one of the principal books on the trial, if not the primary.

Arendt's basic theory is that Eichmann was a moral eunuch. He was a cog, in a large killing machine that never contemplated his role or developed a conscious to answer questions for himself. He simply followed orders and happened to have an instrumental job in the destruction of world Jewry. Arendt argues that even if Eichmann had not had the job there were hundreds of other German Nazis that would have fulfilled the obligations of his job without a conscience. Throughout the book Arendt patronizes Eichmann as a man incapable of his own thoughts; so prone to using clichés inappropriately, repeating himself, contradicting his previous statements, and utterly incompetent of original thought or judgment. Arendt portrays Eichmann as an automaton only interested in advancing his own career. Arendt does not even fault Eichmann for completing his job, because she thought he was simply following the orders that were given to him.

This was one of the three major controversies that arose with the printing of Arendt's insight on the trial. Arendt also heavily criticized David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minster of Israel, the chief Prosecutor Gideon Hausner, and the European Jewish community.

Arendt believed that the Jewish Community in Europe had meticulous organizational abilities and was instrumental in the destruction of European Jewry. The organizations that the Jews created were able to document and provide comprehensive statistics and efficiency in rounding up Jews and aiding the Nazis. Arendt believed the Jewish bureaucracy was impeccable in its carrying out of these duties. This argument of Arendt's is flawed for a number of reasons. If the Jewish communal leaders assigned these tasks did not fulfill them then other Jews may have, and if not them, then other European citizens might have, which does not completely discredit Arendt. But the fact that does debunk Arendt's theory, that is often described as "blaming the victims not the criminals," is the fact that the Russian Jews were systematically murdered and killed much the same way as much of Central and Eastern Europe's Jews were. What stands to reason is there were no Jewish organizations to augment the efficiency of the Nazis in Russia. The Nazis were able to comprehend this task without the help of any Jewish bureaucracy. The Jewish organizations could not have been much more helpful to the Jews of Europe, Arendt really overplays this theory. Jews were not leading their brethren to their funerals, or simply following orders like Eichmann and other cogs, but were probably trying to alleviate Jewish suffering.

Arendt's criticism of Ben-Gurion's treatment of the trial is precise. There were journalists from all over the world hanging on each and every word of the trial; it was truly a "show trial." Even though Arendt would probably agree that Eichmann was a cog and an automaton, Israel's Premier was able to gain great publicity for the trial.

Throughout the course of the book Arendt restates the arguments made against Eichmann by the prosecution, when they are adequate she leaves them as is. However, when the arguments fall short of Arendt's standards she takes the liberty of showing the flaw of the procedure, the argument, and its role in the trial. At most points this commentary is a necessity, but at others Arendt seems to be showing her mental muscle and belittling the prosecution.

These are the major reasons Arendt's work was poorly received in Israel. Her criticism of European Jewry's role in the Holocaust is rather short-sighted, but her indictment of the prosecutors and Ben-Gurion is profound.

Eichmann in Jerusalem is a classic in the study of human nature, totalitarian politics, and political theory, deservingly. The book has its flaws, but the insightful commentary on one's man adventure inside the totalitarian Nazi destructing machine is a true tour de force.

I am astonished by the comments Amazon.com includes under *Eichmann in Jerusalem*: to characterize Arendt's book as a "defense" of Eichmann is either a deliberate falsehood or a comment written by someone who has never read the book. I assume the comment was written on the basis of Michael Musmanno's incompetent review of *Eichmann* for the *New York Times*. Musmanno's review blatantly misrepresented Arendt's work, and I would expect Amazon.com to be able to do better. Far from "defending" Eichmann, Arendt portrays him as a willing participant in mass murder, and, in her Epilogue, she strongly agrees with the death sentence that he received. The myth of Arendt's "defense" of Eichmann is a result of her belief that Eichmann was motivated more by immersion in the totalitarian "system" of Nazi Germany than by hatred of Jews. In no way does she excuse him or the Germans, and, indeed, she argues that complicity in the Holocaust was ubiquitous in Germany. Her thesis is certainly open to debate, but to suggest that this brave and decent thinker sought for a moment to defend Eichmann or the Nazis is outrageous. Her book remains one of the most thought-provoking studies of the perpetrators of the Holocaust ever written.

I first read this book 20+ years ago in my senior year of college, in a political theory seminar on Arendt, and have re-read it from time to time ever since. The seminar professor offered a keg of beer to anyone who could find the phrase "banality of evil" in the text of the book (NOT the cover, in Arendt's text). No one won the keg because Arendt NEVER USES the phrase banality of evil anywhere in the book, and she was NOT saying evil is banal. What she was trying to drive at is that you don't need a raver like Hitler, or an obvious monster with long fangs, to do evil -- that ordinary people, the kind you live next door to or pass on the street every day without a second thought -- can do tremendous evil. it's a conclusion that I agree with in my brain but still grapple with emotionally.

I'm also grateful to her because this book is the first place where she recounted the story of the Danish Jews, who were protected by just about the entire population of Denmark when the Nazis tried to round them up.

Terry Ward has written a beautiful human story and travel journal. I laughed, I cried, I lived through these travellers-- even after I had finished the book!

My favorite part is when Terry receives a present-- a hand woven carpet-- from a woman who had a crush on him 30 years ago as a girl and who he barely remembers. And the note behind says in broken English, "... from your bicycl girl-friend, Isfahan 1998."

But it's not the "touchy feely stuff" that makes this book good. It is also very insightful. Ward discusses the class dimension of the Iranian Revolution in a way that some of the best "current affairs" writers have failed.

What emerges as conclusion is that all the diplomatic negativity of our politicians don't matter much anyway. What matters is beauty, love, friendship, art, poetry, literature, ... culture. From the vantage point of a 3,000 year old country it doesn't really matter if our countries are officially friendly or not -- today's "friends" are tomorrow's enemies and vice versa.

I wish he had included the following from Mowlana in the last chapter-- it just fits so well.

Out beyond ideas of
Right doing and wrong doing,
There is a field.
I'll meet you there.

The understanding of Iranian people and culture by Mr. Ward is thorough and fascinating. I learned much about Iran from this book and I am an Iranian. His explorations on topics such as the poet Hafez or the religious figure Imam Ali as well as the roots of the Iranian revolution are well researched, valid and thoughtful. The audience for this book should include not only the people interested in Iran or the Middle East, but also the policymakers and think tanks of American foreign policy in the area. A definite FIVE STAR.

I just finished reading this book and am still wiping the tears from my eyes. "Searching for Hassan" was truly extraordinary. I cried as Hassan spoke with Terry and his brothers about how he will always remember the kindness of others, especially the kindness that Terry's family gave to him.
Iran has always been on my itinerary, as one of the places I've always wanted to visit. I learned much more than I knew before about Iranian culture, and this book left me with a longing and curiosity to see this beautiful country.
Kudos to Terence Ward!!!

Jean Sasson's debut historical novel, Ester's Child, is truly "a searing drama you'll never forget". Her three years of research paid off. It is a must read for all and is quite timely as conflict continues to brew in the Holy Land.

Sasson bought a new understanding to an ancient and complex situation. By using a German, an Arab and a Jewish family she cleverly presented three sides. Her characters are multi-dimensional and very convincing. I found myself wanting to meet them. They are all greatly missed. They continue to be with me as I read the newspaper about the conflict. Her novel put faces on all of the people we see in the news and read about in the newspaper.

Sasson wrote with sensitivity and compassion. It is clear that she has an obvious love for the people in her novel.

With a college degree in history I seek out historical fiction. Ester's Child is a new all time favorite read. I believed it was impossible for her to surpass the Princess trilogy, but she did (and I still strongly recommend them, also).

With great anticipation I look forward to Sasson's next novel!

Ester's Child, Jean Sasson's latest book and first attempt at fiction is a must read for anybody who is interested, baffled, and confused with the on-going and never-ending conflict between the people of Israel and Palestine. I have read most of Ms. Sasson's other books, all of which are nonfiction. How she was able to make the switch from writing nonfiction to fiction leaves me in awe of this incredibly talented author. Ester's Child can only be described as an epic, but unlike other sweeping historical novels, Ms. Sasson is economical in her use of words. There is not so much as a wasted sentence in the entire novel. And in spite of a large cast of characters, each one is memorable. Joseph and Ester Gale, Demetrius Antoun, Christine Kleist, and Jordan Gale evolve in Ester's Child as believably real people, living real life dramas. I will always think of them whenever I pick up a newspaper and read of the latest human tragedy in that dark and bloody ground. Likewise, there must be real people in both the Israeli and Palestinian camps who will recognize themselves and others in these characters.
If it is true that the pen is mightier than the sword, then Ms. Sasson wields one of unusual power. And if ever there was a book that should be made into a movie it is Ester's Child. I hope Stephen Spielberg reads it. I hope Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat read it, too.

I am an avid reader, reading at least one book a week, along with numerous magazines and newspapers. After 9/11, I wanted to know EVERYTHING about every reason listed telling us why certain Muslims feel they have a valid reason to attack America and Americans. I searched to find various books on the issue of Jews/Arabs and this book caught my attention. The current violence in Israel led me to buy ESTER'S CHILD by Jean Sasson. As I read this book, I was astonished at how little I really knew about the Jews & Palestinians who live in Israel. Why is this not taught in school? It creates such understanding to know the history of this age-old conflict, yet Jean Sasson teaches history in the most interesting manner--in the pages of a well-written and wonderfully compassionate book--without even trying.

Honestly, I cannot believe that this book is not required reading in high schools and universities. This is the kind of book that gets young people to reading!!! Young people are going to be running governments in just a few years and they need to know how people FEEL who live these events...

Wake up world! We must understand the history of these conflicts before we can stop them!!!

After reading this book, I felt compelled to buy everything by this author and I am starting PRINCESS when I finish this review.

I now have a new "favorite" author, JEAN SASSON.

Thank you Jean for this extremely compelling book... I encourage every one who reads this review to buy this book, absorb this book. You will be glad that you did...